MotoGP 2015: 9 times world champion Valentino Rossi wins season opener at Qatar

The 2015 MotoGP began with staggering start as nine times world champion Valentino Rossi makes a stunning victory at the season opener. The Italian racing legend grabbed a spectacular victory for Yamaha battling fellow Italian and Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, who was left behind over the final laps, under floodlights on Sunday. The third place was taken by none other than Doizioso’s teammate Andrea Iannone, subsequently turning it into an all-Italian podium.

Written by: Oncars India

Published: March 31, 2015, 11:45 AM IST

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Valentino Rossi who himself is a seven-time MotoGP champion, claimed in 109^th Grand Prix victory with this race. Whereas fellow Yamaha rider Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo came fourth, who had led on his Yamaha before Andrea Iannone took over from the midway. The fifth place was taken by Spain's two-time defending champion Marc Marquez.

Marquez, who won the opening 10 races in 2014, was up for a bad start as he was forced off the track and slipped to the back of the field. But this did not keep the two-time world champion from battling his way through the field on his Honda and achieving the fifth place, but could not keep up with Rossi who began the race eighth on the grid but charged to the front. Inching behind Marquez was his teammate Dani Pedrosa who took the sixth place.

Commenting on his victory Rossi said, “This was one of the best victories for me. The bike was fantastic, I never gave up but it was a real fight with the Ducatis and the Hondas who were really strong. I'm so happy for me, for the team and for Yamaha. The second part of the race was really good and I'm very happy because we had difficulties in testing and practice but my experience helped today. This is a great, great victory but I had a good feeling this morning.”